British North America Act 1867

Powers of the Parliament U.K.

91 Legislative authority of Parliament of Canada. U.K.

It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons, to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of Canada, in relation to all matters not coming within the classes of subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the provinces; and for greater certainty, but not so as to restrict the generality of the foregoing terms of this section, it is hereby declared that (notwithstanding anything in this Act) the exclusive legislative authority of the Parliament of Canada extends to all matters coming within the classes of subjects next herein-after enumerated; that is to say,—

[F1 1. The amendment from time to time of the Constitution of Canada, except as regards matters coming within the classes of subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the provinces, or as regards rights or privileges by this or any other Constitutional Act granted or secured to the Legislature or the Government of a province, or to any class of persons with respect to schools or as regards the use of the English or the French language or as regards the requirements that there shall be a session of the Parliament of Canada at least once each year, and that no House of Commons shall continue for more than five years from the day of the return of the Writs for choosing the House; provided, however, that a House of Commons may in time of real or apprehended war, invasion or insurrection be continued by the Parliament of Canada if such continuation is not opposed by the votes of more than one-third of the members of such House.]

1A. The public debt and property.

2. The regulation of trade and commerce.

[F2 2A Unemployment insurance.]

3. The raising of money by any mode or system of taxation.

4. The borrowing of money on the public credit.

5. Postal service.

6. The census and statistics.

7. Militia, military and naval service, and defence.

8. The fixing of and providing for the salaries and allowances of civil and other officers of the Government of Canada.

9. Beacons, buoys, lighthouses, and Sable Island.

10. Navigation and shipping.

11. Quarantine, and the establishment and maintenance of marine hospitals.

12. Sea coast and inland fisheries.

13. Ferries between a province and any British or foreign country, or between two provinces.

14. Currency and coinage.

15. Banking, incorporation of banks, and the issue of paper money.

16. Savings banks.

17. Weights and measures.

18. Bills of exchange and promissory notes.

19. Interest.

20. Legal tender.

21. Bankruptcy and insolvency.

22. Patents of invention and discovery.

23. Copyrights.

24. Indians, and lands reserved for the Indians.

25. Naturalization and aliens.

26. Marriage and divorce.

27. The criminal law, except the constitution of courts of criminal jurisdiction, but including the procedure in criminal matters.

28. The establishment, maintenance, and management of penitentiaries.

29. Such classes of subjects as are expressly excepted in the enumeration of the classes of subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the provinces.

And any matter coming within any of the classes of subjects enumerated in this section shall not be deemed to come within the class of matters of a local or private nature comprised in the enumeration of the classes of subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the provinces.

Textual Amendments

F1 Class 1 inserted and class 1A (formerly class 1) renumbered by British North America (No. 2) Act 1949 (c. 81), s. 1

F2 Class 2A inserted by British North America Act 1940 (c. 36), s. 1